Hasp and hinge fittings for expansible telescopic travel cases, trunks, and the like



March 30, 1954 c. w. CHENEY EAsP AND HINGE FITTINGS EON ExPANsIBLE TELEscoPIc TRAVEL cAsEs, TRUNKs, AND THE LIKE Flled July 8, 1950 TUN H65. F/Gf H96.

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Mms M11/AM (WH/[7 A ttorneyg Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Charles William Cheney, Hockley, Birmingham, England Application July 8, 1950, Serial No. 172,662

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 28, 1948 3 Claims. (Cl. 292-281) Extensible and telescopic hasp and hinge ttings for attach and suitcases, trunks and the like are well known and extensively used.

Such fittings comprise an elongated casing of rectangular box cross-section open at one end only and having in its back plate a central longitudinal line of ratchet teeth, an elongated slide of trough cross-section telescopically engaging the box casing and provided at its outer end with a spring-loaded hinge piece or pivoted hasp and at its inner end with a spring-loaded pawl to engage the ratchet teeth and a lever bar lying longitudinally Within the slide and fulcrumed thereto at about its middle for bringing the pawl into and out of engagement with the said teeth through co-operation of the lever with the hinge piece or hasp. Such a fitting is set forth in the specification of United States Patent No. .2,061,727l to Charles W. Cheney, dated November 24, 1936.

The invention provides the hereinafter described and claimed improvements in fittings of this kind which are mass produced in sheet metal by press tools.

One improvement is characterised by a spring pressed rolling Contact operative between the inner surface of the box casing and-the slide and functioning to prevent objectionable looseness between these parts and at the same time to provide light resistance only to the sliding action and, moreover, to ensure correct operation of the 3o-operative ratchet devices. Conveniently, ya bar roller and a spring can provide said rolling contact.

Another improvement combined with the spring pressed rolling contact is characterised by the lever bar being hinged to the front wall of the slide to leave the side walls thereof imperforate except for pivoting the ratchet pawl.

A further improvement combined with the aforesaid features is characterised by a stop lug of U-shape secured in the slide at the inner end to engage parallel stop channels in the back plate of the box casing.

An example of the three features of the invention is represented by the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a back view of the box casing.

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a back view of the slide completed.

Fig; 6 is a front view of Fig. 5.

Fig;v 7 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the lever bar.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the ratchet pawl.

Fig. 1l is a side elevation of Fig. 16.

Fig. 12 is an elevation of the spring.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of Fig. 12.

Fig. le is an elevation of the stop lug.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a vertical section of a complete telescopic hasp fitting.

in the drawing, and with particular reference to Figs. 5 to 7, there is illustrated a slide I of approximately trough cross section, the web of the section having an opening 2 in which is arranged a small rod-like roller 3; the axis of the roller 3 is directed transversely of the slide l and the roller is located loosely in the opening 2 with the object oi minimising the frictional contact between it and the edges of the opening. Within the slide at this end is pivoted at lla a spring loaded ratchet pawl i adapted to engage a line of ratchet teeth 5 of the box casing 6 and to be engaged by the lever bar 'I hereinafter further described. Engaging the pivoting pin ib of the pavl Li is a double-limited spring 8 operative between the pawl I and the roller 3 normally to press the pawl and roller outwardly, said pawl 4 and roller 3 being independent in action except for the spring pressure.

When the slide I engages the box casing 6 the roller 3 is pressed resiliently by the spring B against the inner face 6a of the web of said casing thereby to irictionally but lightly bind the slide I and casing 6 together under rolling contact and take up all looseness between them, but leaving the slidable action sufticiently free but firm and smooth in all positions.

The box casing 6 and slide l, except as hereinbefore specically described and hereinafter stated, are of the known kind. With reference to the box casing 5, it comprises a body It and back plate II, and with reference to the slide I it carries a hinged hasp I2 to coact with the lever bar l. but instead may carry a hinge member to be attached to a case body.

With particular reference to Figs. 5 to 8, the lever bar l is in the form of a rigid metal strip disposed in the channel of the slide I and hinged at 9a. to the front Wall thereof, said lever bar l having flanges 9c to t rockably between the side Walls of the slide I to maintain the lever bar centrally within the channel. Also, a U-shaped stop lug I9 of steel, Figs. 14 and 15, is applied to the slide I and is secured within the end of the channel by the pivoting pin 4b of the pawl 4 and by the closed inner end of the slide. The branches I 9a and I9b of said stop lug are adapted to travel the channels 2a of the baci: plate H and to co-operate with the abutment ends 2b as stops against the total removal of the slide i from the box casing S.

In Fig. 3 the lever bar 1 is shown as having longitudinal and central ribs 'la for strength, but these ribs are omitted from Figs. 5 and 7 for clearness of illustration only.

rEhe roller 3 is not provided for the purpose of reducing friction between the slide i and the box casing 5 but as spring pressed rolling Contact between these parts to take up all looseness between the slide and the casing which otherwise would be without control as to fitting together slidably with light friction only, the roller and spring operating to take up all objectionable slack between casing and slide and providing only a light fit of the slide within the casing in all positions.

Referring to Fig, 16, when the hasp I2 moves angularly about its hinge pin under the bias of its spring, the inner end of the hasp transmits movement to the lower end of the lever bar 'l and causes the upper end to displace the spring loaded pawl 4 thus disengaging the latter from the teeth 5 and releasing the slide from locked relation with the casing for sliding movement.

What I claim is:

1. Fittings of the kind referred to and coinbining an elongated box casing open at one end and provided in its back plate with a longitudinal line of ratchet teeth and with longitudinal stop channels, an elongated channel-shaped slide er1-- gagng the casing and having an opening through the web of said slide, a spring loaded hinged meinber at one end of said slide and a spring loaded pawl, mounted on a hinging pin, at the other end of said slide, said pawl being adapted to engage the ratchet teeth, a rocker bar hinged within the slide and connecting the hinged member to said pawl, a spring pressed rod roller arranged freely in said opening in the slide and operative between said slide and the inner surface of said box casing and adapted to make rolling contact against said inner surface and a stop on the pawl end of the said slide to engage said stop channels of the casing and which ts tightly within the end of the slide and is secured therein by the channels, an elongated channel-shaped slide engaging said casing, and having an opening through the web of said slide, a spring loaded hinged member at one end of said slide, a spring loaded pawl, mounted on a hinging pin, at the other end of said slide, said pawl being adapted to engage said ratchet teeth, a rocker bar hinged to said web of said slide and connecting the hinged inember to said pawl and having side fianges supporting it transversely in said channel of said slide, a spring loaded rod roller arranged freely in said opening in the slide and operative between said slide and the inner surface of said box casing with a rolling contact against said inner surface, and a stop on the pawl end of said slide to engage said stop channels of the casing and which is secured within said slide by said hinging pin.

3. Fittings of the kind referred to and con bining lan elongated box casing open at one end only and provided in its: back plate with a longi-a tudinal line of ratchet teeth and with longitudii, nal stop channels, an elongated channel shaped i slide engaging said casing and having an opening through the web of said slide, a spring loaded hinged member at one end of said slide, a spring loaded pawl, mounted on a, hinging pin, at the other end of said slide, said pawl being adapted to engage said ratchet teeth, a rocker bar hinged within said slide and connecting said hinged member to said pawl, a rod roller arranged freely in said opening in the slide and operative between said slide and the inner surface of said box casing to make rolling contact against inner surface, a double limbed spring mounted upon said pin and operative between said pawl and said rod roller to cause said pawl and said roller to be spring loaded, and a U-shaped stop on said slide at the pawl end to engage said stop channels of said casing, said stop fitting within the end of the slide and being secured therein by the hinging pin of the pawl.

CHARLES WILLIAM CHENEY.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,650,793 Hill Nov. 29, 1927 2,061,727 Cheney Nov. 24, i936 2,240,400 Johnson Apr. 29, 194i FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 314,033 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1929 Qns" CA 

